Tenative beginings
by ChaosMiko
Summary: A young sorceress with her first familiar and the storyies of the trouble they get into. Updated 3306. Please review!
1. No sleep for the weary

This is the first story in a series of short stories. Technically starting in the middle for the characters, but I really don't have the 'true' beginning worked out in my head yet. A character building exercise with two characters: a halfdragon/drow sorceress and her familiar, an Asperii. Asperii are magical horses that communicate through telepathy, magically hold their riders onto their backs and can fly for short periods of time.

Typed in notepad with no beta as of yet. Comments welcome, flames used to supplement the lack of heating in my apartment. (2-16-06) Tweaked the beginning and a few lines later on after some helpful reviews. Keep it up the constructive criticism, it helps me more than you think!

_Italics_ indicates telepathic communication.

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Orihalcon shook with restrained laughter on her bedroll, trying to will herself to sleep. Occasionally she had peeked out at her traveling companions, her red eyes seeming to glow with the remains of their campfire. Barathiel, her friend and mentor, had insisted that they have it for warmth and to ward off curious animals. Orihalcon had shook her head, causing her long black hair (one of her few favorite traits) to cover her face for a moment, then continued setting up the magical alarm on the cave they chose to rest in.

But that wasn't why she had to restrain her laughter. No, the cause of her mirth stood a few feet to one side of her, ears twitching at every sound that echoed through the cave. **Her **familiar. Her **familiar.**

_Will you **please **go to sleep? _A horsey voice asked within the confines of her mind. The silver colored steed looked at her reproachfully. Implying in no uncertain terms that she wasn't nearly as quiet as she had thought.

"Sorry," a light giggle colored Orihalcon's voice. The smile accompaning it exposed a bit of fang. The long canine stood out eerily against the contrast of her near black, scale covered skin. "I've just been trying to find a familiar **forever**." She scooted closer to him, whispering aloud, still unused to the telepathic bond between them. She stood up as she got closer, careful to take off the noisier pieces of her jewlery. The tips of her taloned hand reached out, stopping just short of the equine's corse grey fur.

_Don't be silly. _Cloud snorted, flicking his ears around at the sound of her voice and the echos it had produced. Y_ou are still just a filly. There is no way you could have been searching **forever**. _He stressed the last word, mimicking her._ Besides, if you think back and remember clearly, you'd remember that it was I that found you_. His lips pulled back in a grin as he shifted his weight. Conviently so his left flank would brush up against her outstreched hand.

"'Kay," she laughed at the inflection. "Just let me get out of your wa-whoa!" She leaned against him as she almost lost her balance, both hands pressed against his side. She marveled at the texture of his fur as it rubbed against the fine scales of her skin before she glared at him playfully. "You did that on purpose!"

He snickered, sounding distorted by the small cave. _What? It's not my fault that you haven't learned how to balance yourself yet. But, since you are standing anyways... My leg fur is matted. Groom it?_

There was a percussion of thuds and tinkling earrings as she fumbled in the half light to the other side of the cave for her pack. Too dim and too bright to her eyes, if it hadn't been so cold she would have insisted that they camp without the fire. A sharp scrape against the stone wall as she used her hand to balance herself, one handed, digging for the curry comb. Back to his side, where she began to brush out the mat that had formed. "Sneaky Asperii."

Cloud shivered happily at the sensation of being groomed, sending a short wave of it to 'his mage'. _Really. You can't blame me if I am more graceful than you. After all, you're a clumbsy landbound creature._ He turned his head to her, curious. _What are you, anyways?_

There was a loud pause as Orihalcon stopped to think how to answer his question. "I don't really know. My aunts and uncles say I have to be some sort of half dragon, because of the scales and talons and horns and fangs... but ... I look kinda like a drow. The eyes, the colors and whatnot." She laughed bitterly, a strange sound from the normally cheerful adolesent. "I've had enough people call me Drow when they are yelling at me to know I look like one." She cut off, inspecting her scaled, taloned hands unhappily.

Whatever pity-party she was falling into was interupted by a shift in Cloud's weight and a soft nose nuzzling encouragingly at her side. Y_ou are you. Really, you think too much. And you have barely started grooming me!_

She laughed gratefully, her mood shifting with his interuption. She resumed combing, occasionally running a hand over his fur. A thought popped into her head. A suggestion she had offered to him earlier that he had ignored...perhaps a different tactic... "Your fur is so pretty, Cloud. Its all silvery."

Her flattery was well recieved. Cloud preened at the praise, before he sent a wave of prideful agreement into her mind. _Of course. I am one of the best looking stallions in my herd, you know._

"I don't doubt it," she said, before she shifted the conversation. "It would look even more gorgeous with a bit of color on it. A red or an orange would compliment you so well. And we'd match! A saddle to accessorize..."

_No_. Cloud cut her off firmly, his ears laying flat.

"But, you could get..." She responded swiftly before being cut off again.

I_ don't care what you can get on a saddle. I don't want one._ He turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with dissapointment and a little hurt. _Do you trust me so little?_

"Wha- no! I trust you!" Her voice raised in surprise and confusion. Her eyes widened, the firelight reflected in them. Making it appear that their deep red color was aglow. "Why would you even ask that?"

He looked at her for a long moment before he shook his head with wry amusement. _I forgot that you are still just a filly. You wouldn't know, would you?_

"Know what?"

_I am an Asperii stallion. No mature Asperii would drop their rider or allow their rider to fall unless it was their choice. You will never need a saddle as long as you are my rider._

"Oh." Orihalcon said quietly. "I didn't mean to insult you. I.. I just thought that it would look nice. The colors and maybe some bells." She shook her head to cause her earrings to jingle in example.

Cloud whinnied in amusement. _All I need to chime as I fly is you on my back._

She frowned, her feelings prickled, not quite at ease after the thought of insulting him. "I'm not that loud."

_You may look like a shadow, but you sound like a dragon's horde!_ He argued playfully.

She dropped the forgotten curry comb to swat at him, picking up his playful mood. "I am NOT that bad. I can be quiet."

_You? Quiet?_ He snorted, shaking his head in mirth.

"I can too be quiet!" Orihalcon repeated louder in responce to the waves of amusement he had sent over their link.

"Can you **both **be quiet **now**, then?" a tired female voice said suddenly from the other side of the fire. Orihalcon and Cloud jumped as Barathiel, the only one who really knew where they were going, sat up to glare at them. Her amber eyes pinned both of them where they stood as she radiated annoyance. "You two were the ones that complained you were tired. The least you could do is actually **sleep**."

"Sorry, Barathiel." _Appologies, Ranger._ They responded in unison, sharing a guilty glance before settling back down for the few remaining hours before dawn.

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Have more shorts written. Will post if I recieve enough positive feedback.  



	2. Because of the exploding mushrooms

**Because of The Exploding Mushrooms**

The older ranger had been listening to this argument all day, and it had finally gotten on her nerves. "Orihalcon," The name was said with a warning in its tone, punctuated by the speaker placing her fists on her hips. Barathiel fixed a reprimanding glare on Ori and arched her silvery-white brows. Her normally expressionless face carried a frown and she watched Ori for a few seconds. Always alert, her gold-flecked blue eyes watched all around them as they spoke. Here in Faerun, danger could be found anywhere for those that were caught unprepared and Barathiel had scars to prove it. She flicked back her deep green cloak and placed her gloved hands on the handles of her sheathed weapons.

"Look, you're doing all of the work here and I want to help!" Ori said with a whine. She brushed a lock of black hair out of her eyes to look up at her friend and traveling companion. The taller elf stood a few paces away, her long silvery-white hair pulled back in a braid and her purple skin glowing slightly in the late afternoon light. Ori sat next to the fire in a small clearing Barathiel had chosen as a campsite for the night. A childish pout appeared on her angular face and she scowled. "You find the trails in the woods; you decide where to camp for the night; and all you do is let me light the fire!" She threw her arms in the air, bracelets clanging against each other. Barathiel sighed and put her face in her palm.

A loud snort came from Silver Cloud, the unfettered, saddle-less horse grazing nearby. _You almost set the tent on fire, the last time you cooked._His coat was a mottled gray, and his long mane and tail were full and thick.

Barathiel released a long sigh at the memory, rubbing her temples. "The green mushrooms you picked last time…" she started to say.

"I thought that, well, mushrooms are a vegetable, right? Vegetables are green! So, green mushrooms!"

A thought wafted over them when Cloud spoke telepathically-_you almost set me on fire. _The magical horse looked up reproachfully, and his tail swished in agitation.

Barathiel wondered if this particular conversation with Ori and the horse would ever end. She crossed her arms in front of her, and drummed the gloved fingers of her right hand on her left bicep. "The mushrooms were covered in bright green spots, Ori. Didn't that seem the least bit suspicious to you?"

_They exploded when you put them in the fire! _Cloud snorted, his gray ears laying flat at the memory.

"I said I was sorry, okay?" Ori said louder to include them both. "I know I'm not that good at the whole plant thing." She sulked for a few moments, and then smiled. "But, I figure that the whole hunting thing should be much easier!"

Barathiel crossed her arms again and looked down at the younger girl. "Well, I don't know…"

Orihalcon didn't give the older elf a chance to continue with her doubt. "Please? Please, Barathiel? I promise not to bring back anything green this time." She clasped her hands in front of her, pleading. "Please?"

Cloud took a step towards them, a large clump of grass hanging out of his mouth. _You could just eat some grass and save yourself the effort. _

"Ha," Barathiel laughed. "I'd let her cook if all I had to worry about was grass."

"Hey!" Ori cried.

"Calm down. Calm down. Go ahead," Barathiel caved. She raised her hands in a placating gesture.

"Hooray!" Ori cheered, her hurt feelings forgotten. She grinned broadly and held her hands out towards Barathiel.

The elven ranger's brows arched, "What?"

"I gotta hunt with something, right?" Her grin grew wider and her crimson eyes lit up with an impish expression.

The horse's ears flicked forward- _You have got to be kidding me. _He shook his head and whinnied.

"I'm not giving you my bow," Barathiel replied in a flat voice.

"But! How am I going to-?"

"No buts. If you want to hunt you are going to have to make do with what you have."

"What I have- but I don't have anything!" Her brows furrowed and she crossed her arms. She stared off into space thinking, and her eyes focused sharply as an idea struck her. She grinned and turned to Barathiel. "Fireball?"

_I thought you wanted to hunt so you could eat?_

Barathiel shook her head, and shook her finger at the sorceress. "No. No fireballs. You'll end up burning down the forest. And us with it."

"Humph," Ori huffed angrily. She drummed her fingers against her elbows in time to her heartbeat. "Just you wait. I'll think of something. You'll see," she promised. She hunched down to remove some of her weightier jewelry and place them in her backpack. "I wouldn't miss with a fireball though." She stood, and shook the dust from her long sleeves and marched away from the campsite. Her earrings provided a musical accompaniment as she stalked away, leaving Cloud and Barathiel alone.

Barathiel waited until the emotional whirlwind had left earshot before turning to the horse. "I bet you my bow she doesn't come back with something edible."

The comment confused him and he pulled his head up to look her in the eye. _Why would I want your bow?_

Barathiel laughed lightly and changed the topic. "You're her familiar, so shouldn't you go and keep an eye on her?"

He snorted, stamping his foot. _What? When she's going to be throwing fireballs around? Are you crazy?_

She shook her head, "No. Ori tends to listen to me about these things."

He snorted, his grey brows scrunching in concern. _So she is out there trying to hunt without weapons or magic?_ His head turned back in the direction that the flighty young wizard had left the camp. _Maybe I should…She's just a filly after all. _He took a step.

"She's hardier than she looks; she's close to being a hundred years old, you know. And I didn't say that she couldn't use magic, just that she couldn't cast fireball."

_A hundred years old? And how old are you Ranger?_

Barathiel grinned, "I'm one hundred and twenty seven right now. But remember we elves age differently than you Asperii do."

He tossed his head, and flicked his tail. _So she could be casting anything out there trying to catch something for dinner?_

A tired nod and a yawn. "It's possible. I've seen her family come up with some very strange ideas."

He lowered his head and his hoof, beginning to graze again. _Her family? She had said something about it before… Something about a harp…_

"Harpelle, it's her family name." She laughed at the memory. "A whole extended family of wizards."

He almost spat out his mouthful in surprise. _The whole family? Wow. _He chewed for a moment in thought. _So there's a whole family of scaly, clawed, dark elf wizards?_

Barathiel shuddered at the mental image before answering. "No, the Harpelles are human." She smiled to herself for a moment. "Well, excluding Orihalcon and Bidderdoo, the mastiff."

_Ah, _He thought. _A pet._

"Oh, no. Bidderdoo is family. He was human once, until he was hit with some spell or other that turned him into a large dog. No one has figured out exactly what happened."

Cloud nickered softly. _Wait, a whole flock of wizards couldn't undo what was done to him?_

"No, a whole flock of wizards couldn't change him back." She looked at him, trying to hold back her laughter. "Why do you call them a flock, anyway?"

_They always made me think of birds. What with their long sleeves and how silly they look when they try to fly. Clumsy._

"Ah, well not everyone can have your grace in flight."

_You poor land bound thing. No way to fly. Not even wings. Stuck on the ground in the dirt._

"Thanks for the optimism."

_Not that dirt is a bad thing. It is not uncommon for colts and fillies to roll in it. It's fun. Erm, if you're a colt. I'm too old for that sort of thing._

"Right, so I suppose that the dirt that I see on you didn't come from you rolling on the ground like some 'poor land bound thing'?"

Cloud looked at his broad back and the layer of dust that had accumulated. _Uh, no. Of course not. _He shook himself, sending up a cloud of dust that settled on the ranger. She sneezed.

"Thanks Cloud."

_The pleasure's mine._

Barathiel pulled a handful of mint leaves out of her pack. "Here you go, you worthless excuse for a horse." The Asperii devoured the fragrant leaves.

"I need to go and take care of Skadi, my animal companion. Would you like to come with me and visit her, or are you going after Ori?"

Cloud swished his tail in thought. _"I suppose that I can go with you since you think that Orihalcon will be alright." _He scratched his forehead on her side, leaving several long silvery hairs plastered to her studded leather armor.

"Alright then," she said, plucking off the hairs. "Follow me."

Like a silent silver shadow the mammoth owl tucked her wings and dove. She spiraled falling from the sky, keen eyes catching often missed details as they swirled around her. The moon was full and for many miles, the sparkling reflection could be seen in a stream that snaked its way through the forest. Over the roar of the wind in her ears, she thought she heard soft cooing. Spreading her massive wings, she ended her dive and coasted through the air, listening intently. There! She heard it again, someone was calling her name.

It came from a group of scraggly trees that were on the northern end of a small clearing. Orienting on the origin of the sound, she headed to the north. She saw a small clearing, surrounded by tall pines. Standing off to the side of the clearing in the shadows of the trees she saw the creature that had made the soft sounds.

Covered in a dark green cloak, the figure 'hooted' a welcome as the giant snowy owl lit in the clearing. The greeting was a sound full of affection, and the owl returned it with one of her own. She hopped over to Barathiel and lowered her large head. The ranger reached out and began to gently scratch the feathers on the bird's face.

"Hello, Skadi. I missed you too, girl." Barathiel took a quick step back as the owl rubbed her head on her shoulder, "Careful there now; you're going to knock me down, silly." She patted Skadi on her shoulder and pulled a special treat out of her cloak.

Skadi's eyes focused quickly on the slain hare and Barathiel flipped it through the air to the giant owl. She followed the treat's descending arc and snapped it out of the air. The hare was gone in two quick bites and Skadi hissed softly as her golden orbs caught movement behind the ranger. Cloud walked into the edge of the clearing and stood several paces behind Barathiel and whickered. _What in the name of Aerdrie Faenya is that?_ He asked the elf.

"This is my animal companion," Barathiel said, patting the giant snowy owl's head. "Her name is Skadi, and she seems very interested in you." The owl cocked her head to the side and peered at the much smaller Asperii. Barathiel sensed the aerial horse's fear of the giant owl and calmed him by saying, "Don't worry too much. I just fed her so she won't be hungry for another few minutes."

_Ha ha. Not funny, she-wolf._

Skadi turned her head, facing the direction that Barathiel and Cloud had come from, and cooed. Barathiel turned with her owl and sniffed the air.

_What's going on ranger?_

"I don't know, but something seems to be wr-"

BOOM! The sound of the explosion reached them just before the shockwave that rippled underneath their feet, hooves, and claws. "Ori!" the ranger cried vaulting onto the back of the giant owl and held on tightly. Skadi flapped her mighty wings and lifted both of them into the air. Cloud flew beside them as they raced over the tops of the trees toward the source of the explosion. Already dusty smoke was beginning to rise into the night sky, blown by the light wind.

_Do you think she's alright?_ the Asperii asked the ranger as she leaned down over the owl's back. "I hope so, but we can go and check nonetheless." A curious look appeared on Barathiel's face, "Say, can't you communicate with her telepathically anyway?" Cloud slowed in mid-flight and blinked. _I hadn't thought of that, but actually I can…_ Barathiel mouthed something that sounded like "Stupid bird-brain" as she held on to her owl's back.

_Ah, I see. It seems that she thought that she saw a displacer beast and figured that she'd better kill it before it hurts anyone, and it turns out that it was a black panther…_The ranger sighed dramatically. _She says she needs your help for something or other. What do you want us to do?_

"That's a silly question," Barathiel replied. "Skadi, dive."


End file.
